Halo 3 goes gold

One of the most-hyped games to date, Halo 3, is now officially finished, and the gold master has been released to manufacturing.

Microsoft, publisher of the Bungie title, has announced that the final chapter in the trilogy will now be in production ahead of its release on September 25 in the US and Australia, September 26 in Europe and September 27 in Japan.

The game recently broke the 1 million pre-order figure in the US, is expected to take more money on its first day of sale than most major box office releases, and has spawned its own version of the Xbox 360 console.

Head of Bungie Studios Harold Ryan is optimistic about the fruits of his team's labour: "This is a huge milestone for us and a big cause for celebration."

"This is the game we've always wanted to make and certainly the best game the studio has developed."